Raja Roy Singh Lecture<br>Human Resources Development: Back to Basics
Kai-ming Cheng, Chair Professor of Education and Senior Advisor to the Vice Chancellor, The University of Hong Kong, SAR Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China
Conventional human resources development is akin to manpower planning. There are assumptions that people are prepared for national needs in economic development, that there is a steady and predictable pattern of manpower in the economy, and hence people should be prepared for specific skills to fit specific needs in order to contribute to national development. The paper revisits these assumptions and tries to explore the circumstances existing and forthcoming in society, and the likely needs of the population apart from economic growth. Such analysis will be translated into education policies and student learning.